EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

Pages

06 May 2014

Makati Barangay Shows Off Green Fiesta Banderitas

An environmental watchdog
campaigning for waste-free, toxic-free fiestas commended a barangay in Makati
City for its effort to do away with wasteful single-use buntings.

The EcoWaste
Coalition lauded Barangay Kasilawan led by Dr. Kristina Mae Casal-Reyes,
Barangay Chairwoman and Rodel Marfori, Barangay Councilman and head of the
Clean and Green Committee for their drive to use eco-friendly fiesta street
buntings and arches to celebrate the Barangay Day and the Feast of the Nuestra
Señora de los Desamparados (Our Lady of
the Abandoned) on May 12.

“We
congratulate Barangay Kasilawan for infusing this year’s celebration with much
needed concern and action to protect the environment,” said Aileen Lucero,
Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The
inter-sitio competition promotes community teamwork that saw the entire
barangay being spruced up and adorned with recyclable and reusable materials
instead of the usual single-use fiesta decorations,” she said.

Last Sunday, May 5, the EcoWaste Coalition’s Basura Patrol visited Barangay
Kasilawan, a community of 4,920 residents, and found its streets and alleys decorated
with arches and garlands made of washable cloth, retaso (fabric scraps), used
PET bottles, coconut shells and corn
husks.

Both Kagawad Marfori and KagawadMac-Mac
Gabriel told the EcoWaste Coalition that the cloth-based buntings will be
stored and kept for future use.

The group has spoken many times against the use of single-use buntings,
especially plastic-based ones, which indisputably add to the volume as well as
toxicity of fiesta garbage.

On many
occasions, the group has found some plastic buntings laden with excessive
levels of lead, a chemical deemed as a brain and developmental poison.

The EcoWaste
Coalition also applauded Barangay Kasilawan for procuring lead safe paints used
for painting street gutters, trash cans and for decorating walls to highlight
the sunflower fiesta theme.

In collaboration with Makati City’s Department of Environmental Services,
Barangay Kasilawan launched the environment-inspired competition that will run
from May 3 to 12.

The criteria
for judging include cleanliness (20%), beautification (20%) and impact (60%),
which will take into account originality (15%), neighborhood cooperation (15%),
appeal (15%) and materials used (15%).

“We hope that
their eco-friendly fiesta initiative will lead to a decrease in waste
generation and to even greater recycling of discards all year round,” Lucero
said.

Based on data
given by Kagawad Marfori, Barangay Kasilawan for the month of April alone
recycled 7,518 kilos of paper, 3,518 kilos of plastic, 1,248 kilos of metal and
1,400 kilos of glass discards.

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.